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Life: Purpose

Archived Articles

  • Failure - A One of a Kind Teacher

    Failure is one of God's primary tools in making you the kind of person-and leader-He wants you to be. He'll use failure to mold you, shape you, and develop your character. The truth is, we rarely learn anything from success.

  • Being Lazy for the Lord

    "Guess what my favorite sky spirit is? There are three: wind, water and sun. Guess which one is my favorite?” Oh boy.

  • Here Am I

    Many scholars believe that the most important statement of the nature of God comes in Exodus 3:14, “I AM THAT I AM.” 

  • Your Mission

    “Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to impact people for God’s Kingdom.”

  • Answering the Two Most Important Questions in Life

    In my first two articles I talked about overcoming the “Cycle of Hopelessness” and the importance of an intimate relationship with God. Both of these messages are critical forerunners for what I will be addressing in this third and final article.

  • Being a Gift to Others

    As this Christmas season comes around, you will be giving gifts to those close to you and receiving gifts from them.A lot of thoughts goes into giving the best gifts to each person. You want to gice something that coms from the heart. This year, give of yourself!

  • Beliefs that Change You

    Change is the battle cry of the season. Politicians of all parties are calling for change and, at the same time, claiming they will bring that change to Washington. Whether they will or not, the promise of change resonates throughout the human spirit.

  • Books To Grow With

    Everywhere you turn, you are assaulted by various pieces of media. Bright colors catch your eye in the store. The jazzy tune with the car dealer ensures you will be humming to later. Posters of upcoming movies linethe walls of the mall. Even cabs, buses, and cars carry advertisements for who ever is willing to pay.

  • Books to Grow With II

    Last month, I wrote about fiction that helps you grow spiritually. This month I want to talk about non-fiction books. While hundreds come off the printing press every year, some prove themselves to be more useful than others. These will help people grow in Christ for years to come.

  • Bravo

    I realize this puts me in the minority of readers of this website, but I am a big fan of classical music.  Don't click the "Back Arrow" button yet.  I could see your hand reaching for the mouse.  Hang on for a couple of minutes, and I guarantee that this will be worth your time.

  • Change of Direction

    My husband Sam died after a horrible fight with cancer. He was a borderline atheist. Sam experienced a miracle from God when he was on his death bed, and he was adamant that I share his story, the complete story with everyone who’d listen. Sam believed that all “good people” go to heaven, if there was a heaven.

  • Don't Ya Love Uncle Sam?

    The red, white, and blue...Mom and apple pie...Yankee Doodle Dandy! And where did that guy come from with the striped pants?

  • Finding God's Will for My Life

    I'm really excited about the new Boundless Answers feature. I enjoy reading the new columns every Thursday, and now something that addresses the issues facing young men such as myself only increases my anticipation. Here's my question: How do I find out what God wants me to do with my life?

  • Finding Purpose in Your School Daze

    College is the turning point of many people's life. When I went to Oklahoma State, I was a southern baptist pursuing an agricultural economics, computer science double major. Upon graduation, I went to Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. Yep, things changed for me. So, what changed my purpose in life? Two words: Chi Alpha.

  • Good Hobbies Are Hard To Come By

    Last month, I wrote about grilling for fun and fellowship. This month, I want to expand the fun part and talk about other non-work activities that people enjoy—their hobbies. Almost everybody has a hobby or two. Whatever you like to do in your "copious" amounts of free time, that's your hobby. Some people collect stamps or cards. My wife collects coins. One grandfather did woodworking and made shelves and a few pieces of wooden artwork. The other grandfather gardened, and his green thumb gave us summers of great tomatoes, peppers, and okra. My grandmother used to sew. As mentioned, I like to grill. I used to work with a guy who ran marathons as a hobby.

  • Gracious Messenger of Impossible Love

    I’ll never forget 1975. That’s the year Arthur Clark reported to work at our local community college. He introduced himself as “Art,” and warmly smiled before I could respond.

  • It's Time To Vote

    We do it all the time.  But every four years we REALLY do it.  That’s right.  It’s time to vote again.  How in the world do we do it this year?

  • Man On A Mission

    Josh Hamilton knows his mission. Although the 27-year-old outfielder draws a paycheck from the Texas Rangers, uplifting those battered by life’s problems guides his actions.

    “I’m the guy who owns up to his mistakes and lets people know it’s never completely hopeless,” the 1999 first pick overall in the major league amateur draft said. “I have a platform and a message, and now I go to bed at night, sober and happy, praying I can be a messenger.”

  • Resolution Revolution

    So, we’re just barely into the New Year, and I can only guess how many of us have already broken our New Year’s resolutions for 2010. If so, you’re not alone.  A Franklin-Covey poll shows that nearly four in ten people break their resolutions before the end of January.

  • Roy

    He was an older gentleman when I met him doing volunteer plumbing work for the church. Roy Boatwright was a great guy. He was just an old geezer who kept piddling around the church. Frankly, he provided some great value for what we were doing in constructing a new 1200 seat sanctuary. He was 79 and still going strong.

  • The Christian in the Voting Booth

    In a few months, each of us in the United States will have the opportunity to cast a ballot in the presidential primaries. From those primaries, the candidates for President of the United States will be selected. One of the people in the race now will be the next leader of the free world.

  • The Purpose of Life

    The philosopher Socrates once said "an unexamined life is not worth living." Unfortunately, in the rat race that marks life in the modern world, few make time to examine their life for purpose.

  • Winning this Year

    Now that 2009 has come to be, you might be thinking about those New Year's resolutions. Maybe you've already broken one or more. If so, it doesn't matter. One slip does not mean complete failure. Take a step back, regroup, and then do it over.